Distinctive ring tones prompted by call urgency and context

ABSTRACT

Devices, methods and systems for enhanced ringing features on communications terminals. Flexible user-established rules, customized in a subscriber profile database, enable the ring-tone to vary based on caller-id, caller priority, call-urgency (as determined by caller), call context and so forth. Call set-up logic applies the profile rules prior to completing the call set-up. “Buzz-tones” extend the basic distinctive ringing feature to the “silent” mode that is currently available on cell-phones, which is of particular utility to subscribers with hearing disabilities. Other kinds of alerts (audio/motion/visual) like flashing colors on a display, moving pictures and the like, and any combination of notification modes, are contemplated by alternative embodiments.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to telephones, cordless telephones, cellphones, pagers, and other electrical or radio terminals, and inparticular to distinctive modes of notification, such as ring tones,that indicate call urgency or other context of an incoming call ormessage, together with systems and methods for selecting andimplementing the ring tones.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A communications terminal, such as a cellular phone or a pagingreceiver, generates a ring tone (calling tone) or vibrates upon receiptof an incoming call or message, such as a text or an instant message(“IM”), to notify the user of the call receipt. A mobile wirelessterminal such as a mobile telephone, for example, has a “terminatingring function” for informing the terminal user of an incoming voice callfrom other mobile wireless terminals or an incoming data call fromvarious information providing servers. The terminating ring functionincludes various modes such as a vibration mode or a melody mode thatoutputs a ring tone to a receiving terminal.

A conventional mobile wireless terminal typically generates a singleterminating ring tone designated by the user upon receipt of eachincoming call. Mobile wireless terminals store a multiplicity of tones,melodies, or other modes, in its internal memory. Many cell phonessupport downloading melodies from a melody providing server via theInternet. The downloaded tones can also be stored in the phone's memory.

Not surprisingly, then, distinctive ringing has become a hugely popularfeature with consumer and business telephony customers. Present daysolutions support caller ID information that triggers the distinctiveringing. The distinctive ring is either network-actuated, i.e., thenetwork sends the appropriate signal to the device, or is actuated bysoftware on the client device.

On mobile phones, for example, the device interprets caller idinformation associated with the incoming call signal to play anappropriate ring-tone. A user may group calling party contacts andassociate one or more ring-tones with each group or person in thedevice's memory.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is further described in the detailed descriptionthat follows, by reference to the noted drawing, by way of non-limitingexamples of embodiments of the present invention, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a specific embodiment of a notificationmode system of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, the present invention, through one or more ofits various aspects, embodiments and/or specific features orsub-components, is intended to bring out one or more of the advantagesthat will be evident from the description. The present invention isdescribed with frequent reference to phones or cell phones. It isunderstood that a phone is merely an example of a specific embodiment ofthe present invention, which is directed generically to communicationterminals, mobile communication equipment and devices, together withattendant networks, systems and methods within the scope of theinvention. The terminology, therefore, is not intended to limit thescope of the invention.

The present invention provides enhanced ringing features. In one or moreof its various embodiments, the present invention provides:

-   (a) a more flexible user-established set of rules, customized in a    subscriber profile database, that enables the ring-tone to vary    based on caller-id, caller priority, call-urgency (as determined by    caller), call context (e.g., is the user currently filtering    calls?), and so forth.-   (b) call set-up logic that applies the profile rules prior to    completing the call set-up. The call set-up logic, for example,    enables the subscriber's phone to prompt the calling party to    indicate the urgency of the call and to process the caller's reply    to the prompt to select the alert or notification mode indicated by    the reply.-   (c) an ability to play “buzz-tones” to extend the basic distinctive    ringing feature to the “silent” mode that is currently available on    cell-phones. For example, one buzz may indicate a low-priority call,    whereas a buzz-buzz sequence indicates a high-priority incoming    call. This feature is of particular utility to subscribers with    hearing disabilities.

Other kinds of alerts (audio/motion/visual) like flashing colors on adisplay, moving pictures (such as an animated cartoon displayingagitation or a sense of urgency) and the like, and any combination ofnotification modes, are contemplated by alternative embodiments.

Advantages of the present invention include:

-   1. A simple web interface to input user profile data, policies and    preferences. The same profile applies across different modes of    telephony such as wireline/wireless communication, text and instant    messaging, paging, and so forth. An alternative embodiment provides    an Interactive Voice Recognition (“IVR”) system for profile data    input. The profile can be applied to any type or mode of incoming    communication, even in conjunction with call rerouting applications.    For example, if the call disposition of a particular subscriber is    to always forward to voice-mail, the profile applies to the alert    for the receipt of voicemail. Likewise, for call-forwarding, the    appropriate notification mode actuates at the end-use terminal of    the subscriber, even if the terminal is a wireline POTS phone.-   2. Call set-up logic with a highly flexible profile that extends to    an arbitrary limit the basic caller-id-triggered notification. That    is, the complexity of the notification protocols depends mainly on    the ease of setup with the interface, and on the    complexity-tolerance of the subscriber, not on any particular    technical limitation. In principle, the contingency and contextual    factors that differentiate ringing, and the ringing or other    notification modes themselves, are readily extendable beyond the    examples described herein.-   3. Ring-tones to associate buzz-tones, LED flashing, and other kinds    of alerts with pre-defined incoming call categories.-   4. Auditory, tactile and and/or visual cues as to the urgency of the    incoming call assure that the subscriber easily detects and    recognizes urgent or important calls.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a specific embodiment of a notificationmode system of the present invention. The system involves threecomponents, broadly speaking. Subscriber related elements are indicatedby 100-series identifying numerals, application server elements areindicated by 200 series identifying numerals, and network/routingelements are indicated by series 300 identifying numbers.

Profile service 110 presents a web-based interface (or a device-specificclient) 112 to user 120, represented by a mobile phone terminal. User120 establishes a priority grouping for each contact. Priorities may beas broad as emergency/medium/low, for example, or may specify frequentcallers such as kids, husband, wife, office, and so forth, and,moreover, priority categories can be cross referenced to callers in theprofile database to further hone the nature of the incoming call.

For example, a matrix position identified as kids/emergency is assigneda notification mode such as loud ringing together with buzzing orvibrating and LED flashing, and indicates an injury requiring attentionor transportation, whereas husband/low is assigned a melody or forwardedto voicemail and indicates an addition to a shopping list or a DVDrental request.

The user establishes a set of ring-tone identifiers 114 as discussedabove, and defines ring disposition rules with, for example, simpleif/then statement logic. That is, IF caller priority=MEDIUM, and callerurgency=HIGH, THEN ring-disposition=IMPORTANT. Ring-disposition rulesdetermined by user availability are also contemplated.

Application server 210 hosts application logic 212 to process profilerules 112 and 14 and determine the caller urgency. To determine theurgency, logic 212 prompts the caller by playing a message to thecaller: “The party you have called is currently busy—please indicate ifthis is an important call by pressing 1 for Yes, or 2 for No.”

Alternative embodiments use an IVR system to allow the calling party tojust speak YES or NO. The called party can customize the message. Tocontacts designated as IMPORTANT, for instance, the prompt plays amessage to the caller such as “I'm currently busy, but if you indicatethat the call is important, I will step out to handle this call.”

Application logic 212 accepts network triggers for incoming call 316either through Parlay Gateway 312 or directly through Softswitch 314.Standard PSTN elements to allow the call to be routed to voice mail 318or directly to subscriber 120. The signaling protocol to convey thering-disposition to the subscriber depends on the nature of end-userdevice 120.

In a standard PSTN device, end-device 120 does not possess anyintelligence. The PSTN SSP, therefore, is responsible for producing thedistinctive rings through existing mechanisms for distinctive ringing.

In a mobile network, mobile device 120 hosts the applicationintelligence to select the ring-tone, based on the incoming ringdisposition 212, conveyed through the signaling protocols over the airinterface between network 310 and mobile device 120. If the ring-tonesare hosted on client device 120, a setup procedure allows a subscriberto “tag” different ring-tones with incoming ring dispositions 212.

For example, a code representing the ring-disposition decision fromnetwork 310 is appended to the calling party ID in the call setupmessage. Upon the reception and decoding of this information, the clientwill then be able to alert user 120 with appropriate methods and signalsassociated with pre-established ring-disposition 212.

Voice over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”) terminals having sufficientintelligence operate analogously to the mobile device case. If, however,the endpoint is a dumb handset attached to a VoIP interface, theinterface, rather than a central office, includes the hardware andsoftware necessary to generate ring patterns.

Although the invention has been described with reference to severalexemplary embodiments, it is understood that the words that have beenused are words of description and illustration, rather than words oflimitation. Changes may be made within the purview of the appendedclaims, as presently stated and as amended, without departing from thescope and spirit of the invention in all its aspects. Although theinvention has been described with reference to particular means,materials and embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limitedto the particulars disclosed; rather, the invention extends to allfunctionally equivalent technologies, structures, methods and uses suchas are within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:
 1. A method of processing call data, the method comprising:receiving a call from a calling device to a called device at anapplication server; determining, at the application server, adesignation of the calling device based on caller identificationinformation; sending a prompt for information about urgency of the callto the calling device from the application server based on thedesignation so that the calling device receives a first prompt when thedesignation is a first designation and the calling device receives asecond prompt different than the first prompt when the designation is asecond designation; receiving a response to the prompt from the callingdevice at the application server; appending a code to calleridentification information in a call setup message to enable aparticular notification based on the designation and the response,wherein the code is decodable by the called device to enable the calleddevice to provide one or more of an audio alert, a vibrational alert,and a visual alert; and sending the call setup message to the calleddevice.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual alert includes ananimated display that indicates urgency.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the vibrational alert comprises a particular sequence ofvibrations to indicate call urgency.
 4. The method of claim 1, whereinthe called device is a mobile communication device.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the called device is a voice over internet protocolterminal.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the designation is based oncaller priority groupings.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the callerpriority groupings are based on an expected frequency of calls bypotential callers of each priority grouping.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein the prompt for information about urgency of the call is a voiceprompt to the calling device and wherein the urgency of the call isprovided in response to the voice prompt.
 9. A method of processing calldata, the method comprising: determining caller priority of a callingparty based on profile information from a called party at an applicationserver; receiving input from the calling party of a call to a calleddevice at the application server in response to a prompt presented tothe calling party from the application server after the applicationserver receives the call, the input indicating an urgency of the callfrom the calling party, wherein the prompt is based on the callerpriority so that the calling device receives a first prompt when thecaller priority is a first designation and the calling device receives asecond prompt different than the first prompt when the caller priorityis a second designation; determining a notification mode based at leastin part on the caller priority and the urgency; and when thenotification mode is to send a call setup message to the called device:appending a code to caller identification information in the call setupmessage, wherein the code is decodable by the called device to enablethe called device to provide one or more of an audio alert, avibrational alert, and a visual alert; and sending the call setupmessage to the called device.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein thecode enables the called device to provide the audio alert, thevibrational alert, and the visual alert when the urgency indicates anemergency and the caller priority indicates a frequent caller.
 11. Themethod of claim 10, wherein the frequent caller corresponds to one of achild, a husband, and a wife.
 12. The method of claim 9, wherein, whenthe caller priority is determined to be important, the prompt indicatesto the calling party that the called party will take the call when thecalled party indicates that the call is important.
 13. The method ofclaim 9, further comprising forwarding the call to voicemail when thenotification mode is to send the call to voicemail.
 14. The method ofclaim 9, further comprising rerouting the call to a second deviceassociated with the called party when the notification mode is toreroute the call.
 15. The method of claim 9, wherein the prompt is avoice prompt.
 16. The method of claim 9, wherein the code enables thecalled device to play an audio alert when the urgency indicates lowurgency and the caller priority indicates a frequent caller.
 17. Themethod of claim 9, wherein the notification mode is send the call tovoicemail when the urgency indicates low urgency and the caller priorityindicates a frequent caller.
 18. A system comprising: ring dispositionlogic to perform operations including: receiving a call from a callingdevice to a called device; determining a designation of the callingdevice; sending a prompt for information about urgency of the call tothe calling device based on the designation so that the calling devicereceives a first prompt when the designation is a first designation andthe calling device receives a second prompt different than the firstprompt when the designation is a second designation; receiving aresponse to the prompt from the calling device; determining anotification mode for the call based on the designation and theresponse; and appending a code to caller identification information in acall setup message when the notification mode is to send the call setupmessage to the called device, wherein the code is decodable by thecalled device to enable the called device to provide one or more of anaudio alert, a vibrational alert, and a visual alert; and call setuplogic to send the call setup message to the called device.
 19. Thesystem of claim 18, further comprising call routing logic to select acommunication terminal to which the call setup message is sent when thenotification mode is to send the call setup message to a device otherthan the called device.
 20. The system of claim 18, wherein the callsetup logic sends the call to voicemail when the notification mode isvoicemail.